Rings
by Bianca.T.Sparrow101
Summary: "Nik, her rings are gone." There are some that say you cannot choose your family, but that simply isn't true. Teagan may not be a Mikaelson by blood, but she is by bond. Her rings reveal her inner turmoil for those who know what to see. When she both finds and loses Stefan Salvatore, what will their reunion bring in Mystic Falls, ninety years later?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**Hey there! Welcome to my new TVD fic. This is just a test run to see if you like it whilst I work through my writer's block for **_**I'm Gonna Be Strong**_**. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this – it'll be chock full of drama, which is my favourite :)**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the Vampire Diaries, but I do own Teagan.**

The hour was late, but the party continued on as though the clock would not strike twelve soon. The age of prohibition was upon them and they partied in elegant speakeasies hidden from the eyes of the police. Champagne flowed with the easiness of a river and people drank it with the eagerness of five year olds with ice cream. There was dancing and, on a small stage at the front of the speakeasy, a white haired woman sang huskily with instrumental backing.

To the left there stood a bar with several men giving out drinks and drunks running up a tab that they would regret in the morning. Sitting on a barstool, ignoring the hooligans that surrounded her, sat a young woman. Her dark green flapper dress glittered in the low light and a scotch sat comfortably in her ring adorned hand. Tanned skin looked darker due to the lighting, and shadows across her face made her look very mysterious. Her eyes were focused on a couple across the room from her.

A woman in a silver and black flapper dress with rich blonde hair curled into an up-do was rather close to another dark haired woman, whilst the man on the other side watched. His hair was sandy and he was dressed crisply in a tuxedo. The woman at the bar could not see his face, but she did not need to. Just like she knew the blonde woman had charming blue eyes, she knew the man had light green orbs – or so she'd been told.

"Oh bloody wonderful – that'll be him, will it?" a new voice demanded as a figure sat next to the woman at the bar. She turned her hazel eyes to her new companion and raised an eyebrow at the bitter expression clouding his defined features. Blue eyes were narrowed towards the same couple she'd been observing and one of his elbows rested on the bar, a drink in the other hand.

"I do believe that is him, yes. She likes him, so be nice," she scolded and the man that had been with her since the beginning, the one that saved her life, raised a challenging eyebrow at her, finally tearing his eyes away.

"Teagan, sweetheart, we know Rebekah is fickle. And we also know she has no interest in being with this . . . boy like that," Nik pointed out and she shrugged casually, tucking a stray lock of auburn hair behind her ear.

"Yes, but she wants to spend time with him – romantically or not. We should respect her wishes," Teagan argued, staring at the man she considered her brother for all intents and purposes. He glowered darkly, taking a gulp of his drink, finishing it.

"He is the result of a diluted bloodline. What makes you think he is worthy to even be in our presence?" he demanded and she rolled her eyes playfully.

"Honestly, Niklaus, your attitude leaves something to be desired. And I am not an Original either – does that make me unworthy?" she asked quietly, half scared of the answer. Nik was often volatile and some things could easily set him off.

"I turned you myself, hardly diluted. But your attitude also leaves something to be desired, sweet Teagan." His voice was dark and she sighed, realising she'd irritated him.

"Then get rid of me, send me away. I don't have to be around if you don't want me," she pointed out sharply, stung by his behaviour. Nearly six hundred years – five ninety five if they were being specific – and she still didn't like being dismissed so easily. Niklaus had a short fuse and often reacted violently, hence his three siblings in boxes, but Teagan never liked being told she wasn't wanted. A loud sigh sounded from her right.

"Sweetheart." She steadily ignored him, terrified of showing weakness. Her eyes were firmly planted on an older couple dancing as though they were seventeen, large smiles on their faces. Nik did not like betrayal and had large trust issues, hence why she and Rebekah were rarely allowed true happiness. "Teagan." His voice was harder but she couldn't bring herself to turn her eyes, not when he would see the hurt in them.

"I need some fresh air," she stated as steadily as possible, rising from the barstool and finishing the rest of her scotch. Teagan only made it to a small hallway leading to an exit before Nik caught up and spun her around. His expression was a mix of frustration and what could be seen as apology.

"Love, you're overreacting again." Fury grabbed Teagan like a tsunami and she almost yelled at him, had he not continued. "Have I gotten rid of you yet?" he asked and she knew he was expecting an answer, so shook her head. "No, I haven't."

"But you continue to punish us both – myself and Rebekah. I do not like it, Nik. Why rob us of happiness when you know we would never betray you?" she demanded, several problems making themselves known. Nik clearly hadn't been expecting them and anger quickly became prominent as his grip tightened dangerously on her wrist.

"This is not the time or place for this conversation," he warned but she was furious and upset and that meant the filter she normally tightly maintained had disappeared.

"I do not care! Why are you punishing us for nothing? Why do I always have to be inferior, even though you CHOSE to save my life!? Why do you make it seem like you never appreciate me when it's your fault I'm still here? Compel me, stake me, I don't care!" she rambled, no longer caring if she looked weak. Nik, on the other hand, was taking deep calming breaths until his face relaxed.

"You know what it is to be second choice, as you so eloquently pointed out. I will not be second choice to anyone." Teagan's face abruptly morphed from rage to understanding and her heavy breaths suddenly calmed as she stared at her brother. "I chose you as a member of my family, Teagan," he added, scowling at her. She smiled weakly.

"You will never be second choice, Nik. You saved my life but, more than that, you're my brother. I trust you and I would hope that there was a tiny bit of trust for me in you. Aside from that, what are the chances we both find someone for me that meets both of our standards?" she asked, smiling more. Nik's entire frame relaxed.

That was their relationship. Some would consider it unhealthy but it was normal for them, expected even. They both loved one another, just like they loved Rebekah and the blowouts only happened once every few years, clearing the air. Both had tempers when they wanted and low tolerance for dismissal. It was their similarities that led to their disagreements, but it also meant a mutual understanding.

"Come, love, we have to introduce ourselves to Rebekah's new friend," Nik urged, a hand settling on Teagan's lower back. Smirking, she linked their arms and they walked back into the main area of the speakeasy, immediately spying Rebekah and the man they'd come to know as Stefan Salvatore.

"I think I should go first, we don't want to put him in hot water too quickly," she suggested, tilting her head slightly. The light made the sparkling clips in her hair shine.

"You _are_ hot water, Teagan," Nik argued, going to take a step. She immediately pulled him back and they looked at one another.

"Just let me play with him a bit?" she asked, licking her lips eagerly. A devilish smirk took over her mouth and Nik rolled his eyes affectionately. "Please, Nik, I haven't played in a while," she added mischievously. Nik sighed and let her go, gesturing her towards the two vampires. Their companion was still between them.

"Don't play too much, love. I want to test the lad also," he warned and she nodded, smirk widening as they went separate ways. Nik went to the bar and ordered another drink, whilst Teagan softened her expression just enough that she didn't look suspicious, and sauntered over to Rebekah and Stefan.

"Rebekah, hasn't anyone told you it is considered bad form to hide new friends from family?" she asked slowly, coming up to the table. Rebekah, looking slightly peeved, pulled away from her female dinner. Teagan smiled cheekily.

"Is Nik bored again?" Rebekah drawled in those luscious English tones of hers. Teagan did not have such an accent, simply American with subtle hints of Italian.

"I think he may be verging on it, so I decided to come over here as I am considered the lesser of two evils." Rebekah rolled her eyes and Teagan just looked at her big sister expectantly.

"Stefan, this is my little sister Teagan. Teagan, this is Stefan Salvatore," she said and Teagan finally got a good look at the elusive Stefan for herself as he stood up in front of her. His eyes truly were light green and he had smooth skin on a structured face. His lips were curled into a half-smirk, half-smile as he took her hand and kissed it.

"Always a pleasure to meet such a beauty," he complimented and Teagan was mildly impressed with his charm – but only mildly. She retrieved her hand and leant against the table, a sultry smile on her lips. Still seated, Rebekah coughed knowingly and it was thankfully not a bitter sound. They all liked to play their games.

"Oh I'm more than just a pretty face, Mr Salvatore. I have many layers to unravel," she said coyly, licking her teeth fleetingly. Stefan gazed at her with interest as she tilted her head to the side playfully. "I have to warn you, though, people think I'm a tad challenging." It was bait and he took it easily.

"I always enjoy a challenge," he replied, making her smile and move away from the table, pressing a hand to his chest then moving it over his shoulder. Warmth spread from her fingertips all the way up her arm and through her body as desire she hadn't felt in a very long time tingled in her chest.

"I could very much enjoy you," she told him, fingers dancing across his neck. Aside from the near loss of control due to the intense attraction she felt to the younger vampire, Teagan was very much enjoying her teasing. Of course, Nik had to intervene.

"It's late, Rebekah, we're leaving. You as well, Teagan, you've had your fun," he claimed, grabbing Rebekah from her booth. Immediately, the blonde protested whilst Teagan slowly backed away from Stefan and stood at Nik's side. Her eyes never left the younger vampire's and his never left hers.

"Get off me, Nik," Rebekah ordered, pulling free from her brother's grasp. Teagan hardly paid attention until Stefan's eyes left hers and he stepped towards Nik threateningly. It was then that the red head realised he was either too arrogant or very stupid. Neither boded well, especially since Nik did not like being challenged.

"Who is this guy?" he demanded as though about to start a fight. Teagan raised an interested eyebrow as Rebekah stomped forward and stopped him from moving.

"Stefan, don't, he'll kill you," she warned and Stefan's eyes turned to Teagan. She smirked that devilish grin once more, waiting for an outburst as Nik's hand settled on her lower back again.

"So this is the famous Stefan Salvatore I've been hearing so much about. You're right, he does have funny hair," Nik noted with a tiny smirk. Teagan grinned gleefully but Rebekah looking at her pleadingly stopped that behaviour. "I'm bored, I want to go." Stefan looked like he was trying not to laugh whilst Rebekah and Teagan eyed each other. Of course, the elder sister knew Teagan's interest in Stefan had exceeded mere playfulness because no one read Teagan better than her family. Nik was obviously trying desperately to ignore it.

"Then go without us, we're having fun," Rebekah urged, stepping away from Stefan, who turned his gaze back to Teagan as she did to him. Nik sighed above her, removing his hand from her back and gazing at Rebekah.

"You are my sister, which means you have to do as I say. You don't hear Teagan complaining, do you?" he asked rhetorically. Teagan felt his eyes on her but she was too busy grinning teasingly at Stefan to notice. The waves of heat she was experiencing were delightful and fresh.

"She's too busy eyeing Stefan to care what you say," Rebekah pointed out, finally pulling Teagan's gaze away from her new interest to look at her brother.

"Come on, Nik, let's get to know him. He likes to play games too," she pleaded in the tone Rebekah had taught her. Her older sister grinned and Nik rolled his eyes, looking at Stefan analytically. Both women saw the moment he decided to test Stefan out.

"Fine, let's sit and talk like civilised gentlemen. Shall we?" he offered, gesturing to the booth. Looking relieved, Rebekah slid back in and Nik followed after, sitting on her left. Stefan surprised Teagan by gently pulling her arm and helping her slide into booth on Rebekah's right then sitting next to her. His fingers brushed her thigh through the fabric of her dress and a barely hidden shudder ran through each of the contours of her spine.

"Play nice, Nik," Rebekah pleaded, clearly intent on keeping her new friend. Teagan was on the same agenda.

"So, Stefan, enlighten me. What makes you worthy of spending time around an Original like my sister? She's pure vampire, while you're no more than a diluted bloodline," Nik pointed out like he had earlier. Teagan and Rebekah shared an exasperated look.

"Don't listen to him, Stefan, Nik's an elitist," Rebekah countered whilst Stefan's fingers followed the patterns on Teagan's dress. The red head swallowed as inconspicuously as possible, but Nik was too observant not to notice her preoccupation.

"Maybe your interest is more in Teagan than Rebekah. Tell me, Stefan, what gentleman teases a lady under the table?" he asked pointedly but Stefan's hand did not withdraw. Instead, it stopped moving and settled firmly, causing Teagan to smirk.

"You can't complain about my intrigue with Teagan, she's not your real sister." Teagan's mood changed so abruptly that no one except her siblings would have been able to pinpoint the exact moment her expression morphed. Her right hand landed sharply on top of Stefan's then yanked it, nearly twisting it clean off. He gasped in pain but she didn't pay it any mind until Nik stepped in.

"Easy, sweetheart, we're still in a public place and you're making a scene. Stefan, Teagan is as much my sister as Rebekah."

"And she is my baby sister above all else – you'd do well to mind your tongue," Rebekah added snottily and Teagan, appeased by their intervention, released Stefan's hand with a sickly smile. He attempted to place it on her shoulder but she swatted it away and managed to slide out of the booth.

"Now you've hurt her feelings – bravo, Stefan. You know, Bekah, he's not doing a remarkable job of convincing me he's worth my time," Nik pointed out as Teagan glared at Stefan. Rebekah looked a tad sheepish, but still determined.

"Give him a chance. He hasn't insulted you yet," she pointed out before looking at Teagan apologetically. "Though he'll have to work to regain our baby sister's favour," she added before the red head gave Stefan one last contemptuous look and stormed off.

As far as she was concerned, Stefan Salvatore would grovel until the skies turned green but she was too riled up to decide if she would forgive that or not.

**So, let me know what you think. There will be VERY minimal Stelena in this story, but only mentioned. There's established Delena later, along with many dramatics. I hope to see you all time. Love, Bianca :) x**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Hello! Thank you for your lovely reviews and for following and favouriting (not that that's a word). Here is the second chapter of **_**Rings**_** and I promise I'll update more often now. For those that are following **_**I'm Gonna Be Strong**_**, I am sorry but writer's block for that just won't give. I'll try again soon, though :)**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the Vampire Diaries but I do own Teagan.**

"Dance with me."

The request came two weeks after Teagan had almost separated Stefan's hand from his arm, early in the night. She was in a red dress and staring up at the vampire she'd steadily ignored for just over a week. Over the last three days, he'd slowly been working his way back under her skin, much to Rebekah's delight and Nik's amusement.

Nik had decided he liked Stefan, especially after the younger vampire's behaviour with Liam and Lila Grant. Teagan had been stubborn up until her big brother practically ordered her to give the boy some attention, and she didn't particularly regret it. He was exciting, charming and a divine dancer when he wanted to be. She really enjoyed his company and it was nice that another person could make her smile with a simple glance.

"That is no way to treat a lady, Mr Salvatore," she teased, idly sipping her drink then licking her lips, looking directly into his lovely green eyes. He smirked at her and held out his hand.

"Would you do me the honour of dancing with me, Teagan?" he asked properly and she nodded calmly, taking the hand and allowing him to help her out of her seat. Slowly, he pressed his chest into her and slipped an arm behind her back. His other hand held her left one as he swayed them gently to the lilting music. She settled her right hand on his shoulder.

"You get along swimmingly with my brother," she pointed out, making idle chit-chat. He smiled and shrugged, moving his arm so it wrapped entirely around her back and their hips pressed intimately together.

"Are we really going to talk about your brother? I'd much rather talk about you," he replied, dancing them around in a circle. She smirked, yet shook her head.

"There isn't much interesting about me, Stefan." That was what she believed was the truth. Nearly six hundred years and she'd spent most of them running with her family. Elijah had split off after the disaster that was New Orleans, Kol had been daggered shortly before that and she'd never even met Finn. There were brief flings, various killing sprees and plenty of family disputes – but nothing interesting.

"On the contrary, you're very interesting to me," Stefan argued, causing Teagan to look up at him through her eyelashes. He looked straight back, honesty shining from his pores and she was genuinely surprised. Showing an interest in her wasn't common. As Nik had pointed out two weeks previously, Teagan was not usually first choice. "Tell me about your family," he urged, contradicting his earlier statement, and she knew he wasn't referring to Rebekah and Nik.

"I never met Finn, he was daggered before Nik turned me, but apparently he isn't very fun. Elijah and I got along alright, though I am a little too overzealous for his tastes. Nik and I have large arguments every few years but we're very attached and I would follow him anywhere. Rebekah and I are joined at the hip mostly, we both like having another girl around." Teagan then smiled brightly at the thought of her final sibling.

"What are you thinking about?" Stefan probed quietly, voice husky as their eyes settled on one another's.

"Kol and I were devious together. Whenever we were around each other, chaos would result and I believe that is where most of Elijah's disapproval lay. We both loved to play our little games," she informed him, affection shining from her eyes as she thought of Kol. They were like evil twins that enjoyed mayhem and Elijah was often left to clean up their messes.

Stefan twirled her out then brought her back in, her back pressed against his chest. Her head was slightly to the side as Stefan's breath fanned against her ear, fingers dancing across her stomach. Her eyes slipped closed and a small smile tugged at her lips.

"Am I another game?" he whispered into her ear, delightful thrills spreading across every inch of skin. Stefan continued swaying them both, lips brushing her earlobe and the world becoming nothing more than a blur to them both.

"You stopped being a game the second I placed my hand on your chest," Teagan told him breathlessly, head turning enough to look him in the eye. Her breathing was heavy and her eyes were close to sliding shut, but she saw the grin on Stefan's face very clearly.

For long minutes, they stayed like that, unconsciously still moving to the music swirling through the air. Other sounds – laughter, voices, glasses clinking – became unnoticed as hazel stared at green. In a blur, Stefan whipped Teagan around so their chests were once again connected and their faces were centimetres apart, breath mingling. She was warm, bordering on hot which would lead to burning as Stefan held her there. Practically paralysed with desire, Teagan did not move.

Abruptly, his lips descended on hers. His hands latched onto her waist and hers dug into his shoulders, their hips still moving to the beat of the music. Hot breath intensified the heat they felt as both gasped between kisses and Teagan felt his fangs come through his gums. She gasped as they caught her bottom lip and they pulled away. Stefan, with red eyes, stared at the spot of blood before licking it, causing Teagan's eyes to roll back in her head.

"We should go somewhere more private," he suggested before leading the way out of the speakeasy. Teagan's normally controlled demeanour was shattered by the need to be with Stefan and she honestly didn't care.

Neither of them paid attention to the apartment they ended up in, though Teagan suspected it was Stefan's, as they spun over to the bed. A table and lamp smashed to pieces in their haste but they didn't pay the items any mind as Stefan threw Teagan on top of the bed sheets and hovered over her. Both spared only a second of staring before Stefan's lips crashed against hers and they tangled their tongues immediately. Clothes were torn off and skin rubbed erotically as moans filled the room, fangs drew blood and they gripped one another tightly.

Hours later, Teagan lay sprawled across Stefan. Her left leg was between both of his and her hair was fanned across the space behind her. His fingers danced up and down the smooth skin of her back as she drew invisible pictures on his firmly chiselled chest. There were patches of dried blood where she'd gotten a little rough, but he definitely didn't seem to mind. She certainly hadn't cared when he'd sunk his teeth into her shoulder.

"Tell me about your rings," he said, though a question could be heard in his voice. Teagan looked at her left hand, adorned with multiple rings. Her index finger held both her delicate daylight ring and a ruby band that Nik had gifted her with three centuries previously. The middle finger held her favourite, a large, obnoxious piece of jewellery with a large sapphire on a silver band. Her pinkie had a tiny little gold ring.

"I picked them all up over the centuries. Some were gifts, others I stole but each has its own story. I hardly take them off," she replied, turning her attention back to Stefan. His eyes, previously on the large sapphire, flickered to her hazel ones.

"So, if you ever take them off-?"

"I'm either washing my hands or something went wrong," she answered the unfinished question. There were only two incidents she could remember having removed the jewellery. One had been when Kol was daggered and she didn't speak to Nik for a solid three months, just before they came to Chicago. The other had been in 1549, when she had accidentally killed a young girl of five years old on a rampage with Kol. Teagan had no particular preference in victims, but she never killed children. She'd scrubbed her hands for two hours in a river before Kol found her and stopped her peeling the skin off.

"I think your sister's been trying to set me up with you since the beginning," Stefan informed her and Teagan raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Really? Whatever gave you that impression?" she queried, shifting so her forearms held her up and her medium length hair fell around them. Stefan smirked at her, tucking some of it behind her ear.

"She mentioned you a lot – good and bad things. Then I insulted you, and I heard nothing else except orders to apologise for days." Teagan smirked at her sister's behaviour before pressing a slow, seductive kiss to the corner of Stefan's mouth.

"I still haven't forgiven you for that atrocious behaviour. You _really _upset me, Stefan," she pouted playfully. Stefan pushed himself up into sitting position and Teagan moved so she straddled him, their naked bodies pressed intimately together. He teasingly bit her pouting lip before grinning. That beautiful smile of his made Teagan very grateful that Stefan had not turned his humanity off. Granted, that made him a tiny bit psychotic but she was well used to that kind of behaviour. She enjoyed it.

"I should find a way to make it up to you, then, shouldn't I?" he asked lowly, pressing a brief kiss to her lips then dragging his mouth over her neck and nibbling at her collarbone. She let her head fall back to give him more access.

"Oh yes, that is a large priority. But we're going to play by my rules," she responded, pushing his head up so their lips brushed but didn't fully connect. "You may not be a game to me, but that doesn't mean we can't _play._"

Laughter filled the room as he flipped her over and tickled her mercilessly.

XXX

Stefan observed Teagan with unconcealed interest. She was beautiful, but the dangerous kind of beauty. If someone looked closely enough, they could tell she was deadly. Her red locks were rich in colour and her eyes – those gorgeous hazel eyes – always sparkled with mischief or dark glee. Her body was tall, lean with faint muscle and sharp points. She always held herself with regal posturing and it wasn't uncommon to see a smirk on those enticing lips of hers.

It hadn't taken long to figure out that he more than enjoyed her presence. He knew he was a monster and would have likely turned his humanity off sooner or later – but Teagan did not give a damn about that. She embraced his life and he embraced hers, though she also knew when enough was enough. There was a level of control in Teagan that Stefan lacked, but it created a nice balance.

"You know, Stefan, it's a rare sight to see someone watching my youngest sister with such affection. She doesn't normally gain such attention, due to her hard shell," Klaus observed as he sat next to Stefan at the bar. It had been two months since the first time Teagan and Stefan had shared a bed and he couldn't hold his true feelings back for much longer.

"She certainly has my attention," Stefan said as he watched Teagan subtly feed on a man in the corner of the booth she and Rebekah were guarding. It was an erotic sight, watching the red headed vampire drink deeply.

"Teagan isn't used to being second choice, Stefan, so I'm going to warn you now: she's either very attached or not interested," Klaus informed him and Stefan finally looked at the man he considered a close friend. The blond was staring at him knowingly. "But we both know it's the former. She's falling in love with you, and you with her."

"Is that a bad thing?" he questioned, wondering why Klaus was bothering to tell him the information. The Original vampire raised an eyebrow, as though he expected Stefan to know the answer.

"I want them to be happy, and you can make Teagan happy. But the three of us live dangerous lives and you should know that she isn't entirely reliable because of that," he finally said but Stefan had already guessed as much.

"Some people are worth the risk," he replied quietly, eyes shifting back to Teagan, who had compelled her meal to leave and was talking with Rebekah. Her hazel eyes briefly settled on his and she gave him a tiny smirk before going back to her sister and laughing, lighting up her entire face.

"I am warning you right now: she is my sister and you will not hurt her. The time may come where she has to leave you, but in no way are you to hurt her," Klaus growled and Stefan nodded to acknowledge that he both heard and understood. Why would he hurt such an exquisite woman? Sure, she was not what most would deem 'perfect', with her love of violence and her short temper – but she was magnificent to him.

"Wouldn't dream of it." With that, he polished off his drink and moved through the dancing guests with ease, ending up at Teagan and Rebekah's booth with Klaus right behind him. Stefan escorted the younger woman to the dance floor, whilst her two siblings watched with small smiles. "You are stunning," he stated easily, as though it was second nature to flatter her. As it was, he didn't do it nearly as often as he should have.

"I do enjoy your compliments, Stefan. They make me feel fluffy inside," she told him, her usual sarcasm present only out of habit, rather than consternation. He smirked at her and brought her closer so her head was pressed against his neck and his lips were at her temple. She was rather tall, only half a head shorter than him. "Would you tell me something?" she questioned, the fleeting feeling of her lips on his neck was enough to get him to swallow thickly.

"It depends on the something," he answered honestly. Whilst Teagan was in no way judgemental of the things he'd done in his past, he didn't want her to know of the terror he'd caused. He wasn't even sure if she was fully aware that he tore people apart most of the time, as they never hunted together.

"Were you ever in love?" she asked and his mind immediately spiralled into memories of Katherine. He had been so very stupid to fall for her manipulation, her lies and her in general. What had been love had turned to loathing – but he would tell Teagan nonetheless.

"Her name was Katherine Pierce. She was beautiful, intriguing and a vampire." Teagan slowly pulled out from her spot nestled against Stefan's neck to look at him with interest. "She manipulated me, along with my brother Damon, and then she died in a fire our town council made to destroy her and the other vampires in town."

Teagan's interest turned to horror as her hazel eyes went wide and her mouth twisted into a grimace. Stefan was deeply surprised when she pulled back from him and immediately scanned the room, eyes landing on Klaus, who was speaking with Rebekah. Without explaining herself, she pulled him over to her siblings, who looked up. Rebekah looked concerned at the muted horror on Teagan's face as the red head sat down, whilst Klaus' eyes darted between his youngest sister and Stefan.

"What's going on?" he asked slowly, voice edging on threatening. Stefan schooled his features to look unconcerned as Teagan's expression turned furious.

"He loved her! Stefan loved _Katerina_," she snarled and the looks on both Rebekah and Klaus' faces were enough to push Stefan to look bewildered. How did Teagan know Katherine's real name? And why did it matter so much?

"Is that true?" Stefan opened his mouth. "Don't ask questions, Stefan, just answer that." Klaus' expression was verging on dark, though there was a hint of hope that Teagan was just being dramatic or silly.

"Yes, it's true." There was no point in lying, not when Teagan knew the truth. What Stefan really wanted to understand was, well, everything. Rebekah cleared her throat pointedly whilst Teagan glowered at the table like it had personally offended her.

"Teagan, sweetheart, it's in the past. We've all done ridiculous things that can't be taken back," Klaus soothed but Teagan simply raised a challenging eyebrow. Her natural rage was so pure that it shone from her skin. "I think you should explain to the lad, instead of just letting him stew. Come now, Teagan." Everyone heard the hidden order and Teagan, who would only take orders from her big brother, stood up and took Stefan's hand, leading him away and into a back room.

"Katerina Petrova appeared when I was nearly two hundred years old. To cut a long story short, she betrayed my family and hurt Elijah – and I will never forgive her. We've been looking for her ever since," she explained, venom oozing from her words like thick blood from a clotting wound. Stefan, finally understanding her reaction, slowly approached and used his index finger to tilt her chin up, smiling softly.

"I loathe her, Teagan. She used me and destroyed my relationship with my brother, I no longer care what happens to her. I promise," he told her sincerely and watching her eyes close as the fury fell from her face. There was just sadness, the kind that Stefan knew to associate with her fear of being second choice.

"If you loved her once, you could love her again. I've met people like Katerina Petrova before, and she will not go away." The insecurity in her voice was well masked by the casual air she held, and only audible to the trained ears of those that knew her well.

"I will never love her again, Teagan, I swear. _You _are who I want,_ you _are better for me than she could ever be, and _you _don't manipulate me to do your bidding." Teagan's face transformed to hold her signature smirk, after a brief flash of acceptance.

"Well, I do have my ways," she responded mischievously. Stefan smirked daringly and latched his hands onto her waist, pulling her forward sharply. Teagan's leg slid around the back of his and stroked teasingly whilst her fingers dug into his hair. "Will you play a game with me, Stefan?" she asked huskily, licking his lips and making him shudder pleasurably.

"I thought I'd already won?" he questioned teasingly, playing along just like she wanted him to, though there were no lies in his words. He had won – he had Teagan. At least, until he apparently inevitably lost her.

**Just a quick note: anything from Teagan's perspective will be in first person from the next chapter because I liked it better. Anyway, let me know your thoughts and I hope you all are having/have had/will have a wonderful day. Love, Bianca :) x**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Hello, so glad you liked the last chapter. Thank you particularly to the reviewer that said Teagan was badass – made me grin. Ps – there is a bit of artistic license in this story, just a warning, but nothing majorly effective.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the Vampire Diaries but I do own Teagan.**

Several more months passed uninterrupted, Stefan and I only growing more attached. Nik believed Stefan was as good as his brother and I had never seen him readily accepting happiness in either my life or Rebekah's, but he did it. After New Orleans, none of us had expected to be alright, not after everything we'd lost. I missed Kol desperately, but asking Nik to take the dagger out was both incredibly stupid and pointless. I had already tried, begged – but Nik was not someone who took betrayal lightly.

Love was as foreign an emotion to me as kindness was an action. The only affection I ever received was from my family, one brother of which was in a coffin and another had vanished. I loved them fully and trustingly, but the feelings I had for Stefan were vibrantly different. They were like a spinning top that never stopped flying, one I didn't want to stop. I felt giddy and light all with the combination of elatedness and _worthy _of something. It was . . . different in a strangely fascinating way.

"I think I prefer the old Teagan – the one that didn't eye men with such a wistful stare," Nik informed me with a false bitterness to his tone as he sat down. I had secured a booth for our group whilst Rebekah insisted that Stefan danced with her. The two had solidified their friendship in a way that made me very comfortable with watching them together. It wasn't quite the happiness Rebekah craved, but I knew Stefan was good for us all in different ways. He gave Nik the brother he wanted Kol or Elijah to be – Finn was a moot point – and Rebekah a strong friend that showed her the enjoyable things in life. For me, the affection was almost unbearable. I loved him.

"Come now, Nik, you know I haven't changed," I responded liltingly, taking the champagne that he offered. My big brother rolled his eyes at me but smirked nonetheless. He knew I was right.

"What if we have to leave?" he asked rather abruptly and my eyes, previously having drifted back to Stefan, snapped over to Nik to find him eyeing the air thoughtfully. My hazel orbs narrowed at him and I shifted closer, placing a cautious hand on his suit covered forearm.

"Have you heard something? Is Mikael here?" I asked, carefully concealing the fear I felt with unconscious skill. Over the centuries, the switch for humanity could no longer be flipped – you chose to be good or bad and just adapted that way. I learned to conceal my emotions that way.

"It was just a question, Teagan. As far as I know, we haven't been caught yet," Nik reassured me softly, turning his blue gaze to me. I detected his own trepidation about the current subject and gradually relaxed, deciding to answer his question rather than continue questioning him. I worded it carefully.

"I enjoy Chicago, but I am very used to leaving things behind. If we have to leave, I will follow you anywhere," I promised sincerely. No matter who came along, no matter what happened, my first priority would always be my family. Nik, though almost visibly relieved, didn't look quite satisfied. If anything, he looked apprehensive. And, if my brother ever looked hesitant about something, it was good reason to be wary.

"Stefan is too much of a risk." I had suspected as much, Nik never did like leaving a trail. But the sharp twisting in my heart assured me that, whilst the news was no surprise, it was choking me to know I would have to leave Stefan behind. "We cannot bring him, Teagan."

"Is there any point in asking why?" I queried wearily, sipping my drink and leaning back against the seat. Nik stared at me as though surprised at my casual reaction but he knew as well as I that I was burning with pain. Pain quickly turned to anger where I was concerned.

"He'll attract attention, so we have to leave him. I'll compel him to forget when the time comes."

It was always 'when', never 'if'. There was never an 'if' where Mikael was involved – he would always find us, no matter where we were. We had been all over the world, been to every state and still he found us. And Stefan would never remember who I was, never know what we'd shared. But I would. I would remember.

I would remember the times where he almost lost control and I'd pull him back to safety. I would remember the times where we'd both embraced what we were and had our own kind of fun. I would remember the passion, the nights spent naked between our sheets and the whispered words of fondness. I would never forget Stefan Salvatore – but he would inevitably forget all about me.

"I love him, Nik," I breathed against my will, eyes focused on my sister and my lover dancing together. The sadness desperately wanted to transform to rage, but I didn't let it. For some reason, I did not want to transfer that emotion at that moment. I just wanted the misery to swallow me up as Stefan and Rebekah laughed at something I could not hear.

"I know you do, sweetheart. But he'll either lead to our deaths, or die himself. Mikael holds no other choice," Nik reminded me and I gulped the rest of my drink in an attempt to soothe out the wriggling of my internal organs. The discomfort only increased.

"You brought me along, you saved my life knowing I would have to come with you. Why is Stefan any different?" I asked quietly, putting the glass down before I could shatter it between my index finger and thumb. Nik seemed to understand my action and fully turned away from our sister to stare at me, drink forgotten.

"I know what I've done to you, Teagan – I have destroyed your life. I was reckless, but I saved you anyway, knowing what it would do." I continued staring at him, wondering if he would say the truth out loud – truth I had only heard whispered in my ear, centuries ago as I fed on a maid of his household. "I saw you there, and I knew you were like me. And I was ruled by my father for so long – I wanted you to fight."

My eyes were wide as I thought back on the night I had died, the night Nik saved me because I was just like him.

"_Father, please!" I screamed, but the whipping did not stop. Disappointment was common under his roof, he was never satisfied with any of his children. It was no secret that I was his least favourite, no change when he beat me more than my other six siblings, and certainly no surprise when he made mine harder, more painful._

_It felt like hours, maybe even days, since he had started. It had been a simple mistake – we had picked the wrong berries for mother, and father had been utterly disgusted. They weren't poisonous or dangerous in any way – but they were the wrong ones. With my fresh wounds from only the day before, the leather was even more agonising. And I knew what would follow the brutal beatings. The others were sent away to their bedrooms, whilst I was tossed outside like a sack of flour._

_It was cold, fresh snow settled on the ground only one hour previously. It had been pure, white, but stained with the scarlet liquid pouring from my back as I shivered. That had been different, I could sense it. My father was finally done with using me to vent his fury – I was left to die in the snow._

_Minutes, hours, days, months – time was unimportant as I watched my fingers turn blue. My insides and outsides were frozen and the thin dress I wore had soaked through within seconds. My hair was stuck to the snow as I shivered violently, feeling my teeth slam together with painful force. I was surprised they had not broken when he arrived._

_It was dark outside, dark enough that my distance from the house allowed him to remain unseen by any occupants. To me, on my death bed, he looked beautiful with his shoulder length golden hair and sparkling blue eyes. His face was sharp but his expression concerned and I found myself wondering if he was real._

"_Well, what do we have here?" he asked in a soft voice, his accent something I hadn't heard before. He crouched down, thick leather boots likely keeping his feet very warm. His fingers touched my cheek and they felt fiery in my frozen state. He sighed, spotting the blood and another violent tremor racked my frame. _

_Our eyes met but I couldn't tell what expression he wore as mine began drooping. The heaviness was hard to ignore and I coughed hoarsely, wondering what was killing me and whether the strange man was going to watch me until I was nothing more than a body. When my eyes fully closed, I felt something strange against my lips. It felt like flesh, then there was liquid . . . and then I was gone._

The blood hadn't gotten into my system quickly enough to heal me, as I'd died just after it trickled down my throat. It had been just quick enough to turn me into a vampire and Nik had explained when I was having my necessary human blood why he'd saved me. At the time I hadn't cared, more focused on the glorious, hot blood soaking my insides – but I had processed it later.

"What will he do without me around?" I asked quietly, looking at our table like it held all my answers. Nik's eyes did not leave me and I knew his expression revealed his turmoil over the situation. He liked having Stefan around too, he didn't want to have to compel him then run again. None of us did, but we hadn't wanted to leave New Orleans, leave Marcel who was turned for similar reasons as me.

"That isn't our concern," Nik answered stiffly, eyes returning to the dance floor. The song ended and our sister accompanied Stefan back over to our table. Rebekah quickly started talking to Nik, whilst Stefan's arm slipped around my shoulders. Trying to forget the previous conversation, I kissed him heatedly and gave a tiny moan of delight when his hand trailed down my leg then under my dress.

"You look ravishing in black," he growled lowly in my ear and I giggled, biting his earlobe playfully before pulling away. My favourite dress was a black sparkled number with my diamond jewels and my usual rings – and apparently Stefan appreciated it too.

"Not at the table – take it to the dance floor," Nik scolded from somewhere to my left. Grinning, both Stefan and I slid out of the booth and began dancing smoothly, our hips swivelling in ways completely inappropriate for outside of the bedroom. Nobody complained though, and we continued holding one another close, whispering sweet nothings.

Minutes went by and we did not leave the floor, swaying continuously to the music Gloria sang so beautifully. We stopped talking after the first song, instead staring at each other unwaveringly. I thought back over my conversation with my brother and my heart ached with longing. I had no wish to endanger Stefan by dragging him with us in our running from Mikael, but I was a notoriously selfish person. Letting him go would be hard – though I reminded myself that it wasn't the hardest thing I'd ever gone through.

"Teagan," Stefan whispered and I tilted my head to the side to show I was listening. "I love you." I immediately halted our movement, wide eyes staring into his with surprise and horror. The ache in my heart transformed from a throbbing pain to a flooding warmth that sped through my body and a smile erupted on my face. Nearly six hundred years of being a vampire meant I was well practiced in spotting a liar, and Stefan was strangely telling the truth.

"I love you too," I whispered breathlessly. Stefan grinned before lifting me and spinning me around. I laughed as he put me down, then dipped me and latched his mouth onto my neck in a dizzying kiss. Sighing, I let him have his fun before he righted me and kissed me properly, burning heat between us as we pressed the lengths of our bodies together.

I felt the shift in the air, the small twinge of familiar terror as I jerked away from Stefan, eyes finding Nik's. His were already on me and we shared a brief stare before bullets tore through the room. Screams rent the air and people began running. I pulled Stefan behind the bar as glass shattered around us, tables smashing and the yelling of the Chicago PD filled the air over the dangerous sound of guns firing.

"Wooden bullets . . . they know," Stefan gasped, holding up a sharpened wooden bullet bound in brass. I snatched it away from him and swallowed thickly. Mikael was in Chicago . . . Mikael was tearing Gloria's apart with the ease of walking down the street. I knew it was time to leave Stefan behind.

"I need to get to Nik and Rebekah . . . I'm so sorry," I breathed, unsurprised when confusion coloured Stefan's glorious face. Somewhere, I heard Nik yelling for me and gave Stefan one last kiss. I pushed all of my love, all of the wonderful feelings that he made me feel, into that final kiss before sharply pulling away and dashing for the edge of the bar. Spotting Nik, I sped forward.

"Teagan, NO!" Rebekah screamed . . . but too late. Agony tore through my back as bullets lodged themselves in my skin and I cried out before tumbling to the ground. I didn't know how many there were, but enough to cause ripping pain throughout my entire body. Arms that belonged to Nik swept me up from the ground before wind told me we were outside.

"Look after her," he ordered someone I assumed was Rebekah. My big sister sighed heavily and helped me sit up so that I was leaning my right side against the seat of our luxury car. There was a single second before she started removing the bullets and I cried out again, the pain unfamiliar and unwelcome.

"They have to come out," she told me quietly and I hissed as she dug into one of the holes. We were there for only two more minutes, during which two bullets were removed, before Nik returned and sat across from me.

"You compelled him," I muttered miserably before my face twitched in discomfort. Nik simply nodded and Rebekah's work on my back halted.

"You . . . why did you compel him, Nik? We could have brought him with us!" she exclaimed and I moaned lowly. There were still bullets in my back and I couldn't get them out myself. They were rubbing the skin raw and the blood was soaking my dress unpleasantly. Nik rolled his eyes and looked at Rebekah.

"If Teagan can come to terms with this, then so can you. Now finish getting rid of those bullets – we need to leave," he ordered and I could feel Rebekah's thunderous expression without even looking. An argument erupted between them and I slowly slid down the seat, leaving a trail of scarlet smeared behind me on the leather. I was laid out across the backseat, no longer caring of the nature of my siblings' argument. Stefan no longer remembered me, my back had been shredded by wooden bullets and Mikael was close.

"YOU ARE RUINING US!" I heard Rebekah shriek before a gurgled noise rose from her throat. My eyes jammed shut as I realised another sibling had been daggered and a tiny whimper escaped my tightly closed lips. Somewhere in front of me, a car door opened then slammed shut and I could feel Nik seething in the front seat.

"You . . . daggered her . . ." I gasped out, one of the bullets lodging itself to close to my heart. I knew that Nik could sense my pain, but he could also sense my anger at him daggering Rebekah.

"Are you challenging my decision, Teagan?" he demanded. My eyes had slid shut as a forced tiredness overcame me, but I could tell Nik was glowering darkly at me. "Need I remind you that your life can be taken so much easier?" he snarled as my head slumped to the side.

"Then . . . do it. Get rid . . . of me. I promised . . . you would never be . . . second choice. But you don't trust me," I gasped, trying to pry my eyes open but the amount of bullets digging into my flesh prevented me from moving at all. Nik growled from the front seat and I heard the engine start up. Dread filled me, as I wondered if he was going to let the bullet near my heart kill me – or if he was going to heed my advice and do it himself.

We drove for an unidentifiable amount of time and my pain only grew. With every breath, the tiny little bullet made its way closer to my heart and I feared death as my eyes still refused to open. Eventually, Nik stopped the car and I was vaguely aware of his door opening, but not shutting before he opened mine. When had it closed?

I choked on a sob that went against my nature as he began easing the wood from the holes in my back. One by one, the lethal products were removed from me and each breath was easier. He left the one closest to my heart until last and I let out a sharp gasp as his hand dug through my ribs and clenched around the vital organ instead.

"I could kill you, right here and now, Teagan. I could remove your heart from your chest and leave you here to rot like the insolent woman you are – but I won't." He yanked his hand out and I inhaled desperately as the bullet went with it. His arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me sharply from the car, throwing my on the ground. I stared up at him through the dark, seeing rage cloud his expression.

"Is this where you compel me?" I snapped, regaining proper speech instead of a garbled mess. Nik glared down at me like I was something stuck to his shoe or a particularly vile meal. I stared back as fearlessly as possible; it wasn't my nature to be a slave to emotion.

"No, sweet Teagan, this is where I leave you. I'm not willing to put up with insolence from someone that isn't my family." My expression slackened and I stared at him with muted horror as he walked back to the car and drove away, leaving me in a bloody heap on the grass in the middle of nowhere.

For the first time since Kol had been daggered, I allowed myself to cry. Tears flooded down my cheeks in never ending rivers, sobs cracked my voice and betrayed screams echoed through the air as I pounded my fists into the ground in anger and confusion. I cried relentlessly, sobbing brokenly as I collapsed properly on the ground.

One by one, just like the bullets from my back, the rings came off.

**And there you have it – Nik and Teagan's biggest fight to date. Just a small warning, this story uses knowledge from the Originals TV show. It's not glaringly obvious and there aren't major spoilers – but just so you know. See you in about a week. Love, Bianca :) x**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Thank you to all of you for your reviews/favourites/alerts – I'm so happy you're enjoying this story :D I don't like the beginning of this chapter, it didn't work like I wanted it to, but here you have it.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the Vampire Diaries but I do own Teagan.**

Hazel. The colour haunted him. It could never be brown – chocolate, coffee, mud – or green – emerald, moss, jade – it had to be hazel. And it had to be hazel with just a slight hint of more green over brown, swirling with mischief and promise that he desperately wanted to know the meaning of.

He had never found out the meaning behind his obsession with hazel eyes, he just knew that he never found someone that had the perfect mix he was looking for. Elena, who looked so much like Katherine that they could have been twins, did not have that mix. Her eyes were a charming chocolate brown, but Stefan did not want chocolate. He wanted hazel.

His relationship with Elena had begun well and, once he had realised she was nothing like Katherine, it had only improved. But he could not keep her from the darkness of his world and, unlike his brother Damon, he was not selfish enough to keep her there. Of course, she and Damon worked better anyway. They had a good balance and she could keep him in control when he needed it – though it had been slowly established that Elena could not make him the 'hero'.

They had their ups and downs, but what it all came down to was the fact that Damon and Elena were better suited to one another. Stefan and Elena had been incredible together, but Damon needed Elena and Elena needed Damon. Stefan knew that he just wasn't it for her – and it was only partly to do with her lack of hazel eyes.

Klaus – a hybrid of werewolf and vampire – had led to Stefan's self-destruction. To save Damon, Stefan had given himself over to the psychotic Original, who then led him down a path that he'd desperately tried to hide from. And, with Lexi gone, he had no hope of recovery. But there always seemed to be something that Klaus didn't tell him, didn't want him to know until the big, dramatic reveal. Personally, Stefan was tired of the games. He may have been a Ripper, but he still had emotions – yet Klaus took care of those.

Damon. It was Damon. Damon loved Elena, Damon needed Elena, Damon wouldn't survive without Elena. That was what pushed Stefan to fight compulsion like no vampire ever had before, but it wasn't enough. He no longer cared about Damon, or Elena, or the fact that Rebekah had practically taken over the Salvatore Boarding House. It just didn't matter anymore.

Still, he always wondered about hazel eyes.

Teagan POV

I didn't go to find Klaus after he abandoned me on the outskirts of Chicago and, despite several hundred attempts, I did not answer messages and made sure I kept a useful knowledge of where he was at all times. For nearly ninety years, I had been by myself, wandering aimlessly. There was no point in trying to find Stefan, not when Klaus had compelled him to forget all about us. So I strayed.

I met with Elijah several times, though he never brought Klaus up and I was grateful. The older Original simply checked in on me, making sure I was not about to rampage over the world and kill everything I deemed fit. Surprisingly, I never wanted to. My anger was directed at Klaus, though I could do nothing about it, but Elijah taught me behaviour he'd been trying to drill into me for centuries. Finally, I was ready to listen instead of behaving childishly. He promised to never speak of our meetings to Klaus – another thing I was grateful for.

I wasn't sure how I had ended up in the little town of Mystic Falls, particularly after I was aware of Klaus breaking his curse there, but I found myself attending a party I stumbled on in the woods. I was curious about the place that was neck deep in supernatural creatures; werewolves, ghosts, vampires and witches all resided there. It was intriguing, I noted as I watched drunken antics take place around me. That's when I heard it.

The voice was familiar, someone I would never forget, and I snuck over towards the source before skirting up a tree and staring down at what was occurring underneath. On a log sat two obvious vampires. One was male, with dark hair and pale skin, sitting unceremoniously close to a lovely blonde female that did not look impressed. Then she stabbed him with a thick stick.

"It was never a fair fight between us, Damon," Rebekah said in an arrogant tone, one I had missed dearly. She stood up, tossed her straight hair over her shoulder and was about to leave when I decided to make my presence known.

"Some things will never change." The reaction could have been comical as both heads whipped around to stare up at me leaning casually against the tree trunk. The dark haired vampire Rebekah had called 'Damon' looked completely bewildered as Rebekah's eyes widened. "So he told you?" I asked, leaping down elegantly and I was glad I wasn't wearing heels that would have sunk into the ground. I was immediately engulfed in an enthusiastic hug.

"I thought you were dead!" Rebekah gasped as I was finally able to pull away and stare at her with a raised eyebrow. Her grin was practically blinding. "Nik told me he left you and he never heard from you again, I assumed the worst." She sounded completely relieved, like I was feeling on the inside. I had been terrified that Klaus had clouded her judgement.

"Did he tell you the whole story?" I demanded a little too harshly. She sighed and nodded sadly.

"He should not have said that, Teagan. He loves you, you know that." I scoffed sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "He does! And, in any case, you're still my little sister. And I've missed you," she declared and, thrilled at the welcome she was giving me, I turned to smirk at Damon, who had pulled the small branch out of his stomach.

"Just who are you, handsome?" I asked cheekily, a little smirk twitching my lips. Rebekah moved to casually perch on the log, looking very comfortable yet cocky as she eyed Damon. Her blue eyes sparkled dangerously and I grinned. It was like no time had passed and we were a team again.

"Damon Salvatore. And you are?" he asked, righting himself and glowering at me. Completely immune to the petty glares of younger vampires, I tilted my head to the side playfully. That was when his name crashed on my eardrums like a tidal wave and Rebekah's jaw went slack as she saw my change in expression.

"Salvatore?" I breathed, staring at Damon with dinner plate eyes. Looking even more confused, he nodded. "You're Stefan's brother?" I asked, heart throbbing at the mention of Stefan's name. Damon nodded once more, slower. I felt faint and exhilarated all at once. "Is he here?" I asked one final time and, once again, Damon nodded. My head spun to face Rebekah and she gestured airily.

"Please, go, I don't need to spend time with the sister I haven't seen in ninety years," she scoffed and I playfully grinned before hugging her tightly. "Go," she encouraged in nothing more than a whisper that even Damon wouldn't be able to hear. "Wait! Teagan, where are your rings?" she demanded and my eyes drifted down to my almost bare hands. Only my daylight ring rested there. Ignoring the question as I prevented my face twisting in pain, I disappeared into the trees.

There was no sign of him at the party, so I expanded my search. All the while, I maintained a stony expression that told no one that witnessed me of my nerves. Rebekah had noticed I wasn't wearing the rings and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I wasn't sure how I felt about anything. I had somehow ended up in Stefan's place of residence, Rebekah was no longer daggered and Damon had been looking at me strangely.

Hearing a disturbance, I quietened my steps as they connected with concrete. The noises were coming from the direction of the bleachers and I skulked forward, peeking around. There, Stefan was collapsing into the arms of a girl that I could only see the back off. She had a slim figure and long, straight brown hair. Behind Stefan stood a man with rugged facial hair and a gun raised.

"That's not very nice," I scolded tightly as I made my presence known. Gasping, the girl spun around and Stefan collapsed unconscious on the ground. I choked on air as I saw what the girl looked like. "Katerina?" I breathed, utterly distracted. So stunned by the likeness of the human girl to Katerina, I didn't notice the trigger being pulled once more and blackness overcame me before I thudded into the ground.

At the party, Rebekah was realising that her sister had been missing for a suspicious amount of time. Unsure what Teagan would have done upon realising that Stefan no longer had his humanity, she took off in search of the only person that understood abandonment like she did. It wasn't until the smell of smoke hit Rebekah that she changed course and ended up in the parking lot. A silver car was up in high flames, the heat touching her skin even at the distance she was at, and the crackling filling the air with deadly song. Her eyes fell on the doppelganger brat and she shot over.

"Where is my sister?" she snarled, gripping the girl's throat in a vice like grip. Crouching next to Elena was Stefan and the hunter was behind her. Elena was gasping for air and trying desperately to pry her off.

"Red hair? Attitude?" Alaric asked slowly and Rebekah turned her red eyes to him savagely. He looked like he was feeling only a fraction of the fear he should have and Rebekah was ready to properly terrify him when Elena managed to put a sentence together.

"She's . . . in the car." She dropped the girl and spun around to save her sister from the car that was about to explode . . . but someone beat her to it. Bemused and intrigued, Rebekah watched as Stefan used what must have been left of his strength to bolt over to the car and drag an unresponsive Teagan from the smoke and orange flame.

"Teagan," Rebekah breathed, ignoring everyone else as she too ran over and crouched next to her sister. It must have been vervain that knocked her out, but Stefan had just saved her life, despite not being compelled to do so. What did that even mean?

"Stefan?" the red head groaned, eyes barely flickering open to stare at the sandy haired vampire to Rebekah's left. The blonde looked up to see what he would respond with and she was sadly unsurprised to see the completely blank expression on his face. "You saved me?" Teagan croaked, soot covering her face and clothes.

"Hm." That was all Stefan said before he limped back over to that impetuous little bitch, who had been joined by Damon. Alaric, Damon and Elena all spared the two vampire women on the ground a final glance before walking off elsewhere. Rebekah, silently fuming, helped Teagan to her feet.

"And that is what Mystic Falls brings: pain and idiocy," the blonde scoffed before starting towards the exit to the school grounds. They were going back to the Salvatore Boarding House – as bad an idea as that seemed, it was where Rebekah was temporarily staying – and they would catch up.

"My car is in the other direction," Teagan remarked with her usual sarcasm. Not at all fooled by the reckless demeanour, Rebekah followed her baby sister and let her jaw fully drop open. In front of her was a cherry red car she believed to be a Mustang, with a black stripe down the middle. Teagan gestured for her to get in.

"What on Earth is this?" Rebekah demanded as the thrumming of the engine started. Teagan scoffed and swerved rather dangerously out of her parking spot and floored it towards the exit.

"It's called a car, Bekah. Where am I going?" she retorted easily and Rebekah gave Teagan the directions to the house. All the while, the younger vampire remained eerily calm, giving no indication that anything had happened. Her husky voice drawled out several scathing remarks but that was only because Elijah had not deemed fit to inform her of the doppelganger still being alive. Rebekah was even more worried when Teagan didn't so much as blink upon discovering Elijah had been daggered with Finn and Kol.

The strange, tense behaviour continued until the car skidded to a graceful halt outside the Boarding House and Rebekah led the way in. Once she had purposely led her sister into Stefan's room – the others still hadn't returned – Rebekah watched Teagan do what she normally did. The stoic face fell away, giving in to rage as all of the confusion, fear and misery the youngest sister was feeling channelled its way into anger. The red head let out a furious screech before throwing the nearest thing – a small table – into the wall.

"Bekah, I do not have time for your complaints about Mystic Falls. I'll be back soon," Nik's bored voice told her when she called. Sighing, Rebekah shifted her head to avoid a flying journal and watched as a vase crashed into the dresser. "What the bloody hell are you doing, love?"

"I have good news, and I have bad news," she started, wincing as one of Stefan's books was shredded mercilessly. "Which do you want first?"

"I don't have time for games, Rebekah," Nik scolded and Rebekah gave a shrill laugh as a picture frame was stomped on.

"This is no game. I'll choose then. The good news is: Teagan is back." There was silence on the other end as Teagan sent a statuette soaring through the air where it cracked in half against the solid wooden bedpost. The wood was severely dented in the process.

"Is that so?" Nik asked slowly, as though he didn't believe her. "And the bad news is?"

"Well, she sort of is the bad news as well." She ducked another vase which shattered on the wall behind her. "The people of Mystic Falls gave her a warm welcome by injecting her with vervain then leaving her to turn to ash in a burning vehicle. Stefan, oddly enough, saved her, but then it became obvious that he no longer had his humanity." Another small table was destroyed as Teagan ripped off the legs one by one then threw the remains on the bed with an angry cry. If Nik hadn't believed Rebekah up until then, he certainly had to after that.

"What exactly is she destroying?" he asked curiously and Rebekah rolled her eyes, dodging another flying journal.

"Everything. I took her to Stefan's room on purpose. Nik," she began, turning her head and waiting for Teagan to give another enraged scream and to start breaking something else before she continued. "Her rings are gone."

"Ah," he replied, obviously knowing what she was getting at and understanding. Teagan had evidently given up her fit of rage and Rebekah heard a distinct thud as her baby sister sat on the ground. The vervain had been overruled by the adrenaline rush, but the tiredness must have settled back in. "Find out all you can. She hasn't been exactly cooperative."

"You abandoned her in Chicago after telling her she wasn't your family – you're lucky the only problem was lack of cooperation," Rebekah argued, eyeing the chaos around her. Aside from the round top of the table resting on it, the only thing untouched was the mattress. The pillows weren't too bad either.

"Just look out for her, Bekah. Make sure she doesn't get into any more trouble and keep her away from Damon. He likes finding ways to torment us." Rebekah smiled a tiny bit as she recognised her big brother's tone. He really did care – about her, about Teagan, about their family – and he wanted to protect them. "And don't let her near Elena – you know how she likes her revenge games."

"It's been ninety years, Nik."

"Ninety years of boiling hatred and pain," he reminded her and she grimaced, looking at Teagan. Her eyes were drooping and her body was sagging slowly down the dresser towards the floor. "I have business to take care of but I won't be much longer." The line went dead but Rebekah had gotten what she wanted – Nik's demonstration of love in his own weird way.

Rejuvenated, she approached Teagan and once again helped her off the ground. The red headed girl latched onto her and the blonde led the way from the room, down to her own room that she'd chosen for herself. There, she placed her younger sister on the bed and watched her as she easily fell asleep. Rebekah wondered where the rings were, when they had come off, and if they would ever appear again. She also wondered what Kol would do in her situation. He was always better with Teagan, the best at helping her and he was missing from a situation he was really needed. How many of those had occurred since he had been daggered?

Smiling affectionately, Rebekah covered Teagan with the duvet and made herself comfortable in a chair, reading one of the books she'd saved from Stefan's room.

**So Rebekah and Teagan are reunited and all is fine with them – yay! Next chapter, Teagan and Nik have a phone conversation – see you soon. Love, Bianca :) x**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**Hello! Here's another chapter and I don't know what else to say except thank you, as always, for the reviews/favourites/alerts :D Oh – read my author's note at the end, please!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the Vampire Diaries but I do own Teagan.**

I hated Mystic Falls. I loathed the people, disliked the lack of entertainment, and completely abhorred the council that was apparently two-faced in dealing with vampires and werewolves. Rebekah had decided that going to _high school_ was the best idea since sliced bread, but I downright refused. With her going to school with Stefan, it meant I didn't have to face the completely horrifying reality of _everything._ Of course, Damon was too old for school.

"Look who finally decided to show herself," he commented dryly as I got out of my car, parked as close to the door as possible. Rolling my eyes, I shut the door and twirled my keys around my fingers.

"I've been gone for an hour – hardly cause for alarm," I bit back, waltzing past him and into the house with ease. He snorted and came up behind me, uncomfortably close. I did not move, waiting for the big reveal of his intentions. He was too pathetically in love with Elena to flirt with me, so I was curious.

"There's lots about you that I can't figure out . . . but only one thing that's really bothering me," he hissed into my ear. I found it amusing that he was trying to intimidate me when I could crush him in a split second. All the same, I let him think he had the upper hand, just for kicks.

"And that would be?" I asked in a low tone, twirling around to look him directly in those lovely blue eyes of his. I could not deny the attractiveness of Damon Salvatore, with his black hair and pale skin, but I had more interest in Stefan. Maybe the elder Salvatore wasn't the only one pathetically in love with someone in the house.

"If you're an Original, why was Rebekah so worried about you being barbequed? After all, Originals can't die that easily." I refused to show fear or trepidation, instead pulling a sly smirk over my lips and watching him falter the tiniest bit. He was playing _my _game and I wasn't about to let him cheat his way to winning.

"Some things are better left unsaid," I replied, picking up a glass of blood I liked to assume was for me and purposefully walking towards the stairwell. Damon did not give up so easily, always needing the last word. Not even a week had passed and I already had him all figured out.

"I think you're full of crap. You're not an Original and I'm going to find out just why you're important to Klaus, of all people." Swallowing thickly, I turned round and let my vulnerability show for the second it was necessary.

"That's where you're wrong, Damon. I'm not important to Klaus . . . I don't think I ever was." With that, I made for the stairs and successfully made it to the room next to Rebekah's, flopping on the bed. There were no questionable sounds from Damon and I slowly ignored any other noise aside from my own breathing.

Obviously, he had worked out that I wasn't an Original and he thought that had given him leverage for Klaus. As I'd pointed out, I was no longer important to the man I'd once considered my brother. The only person I was important to was Rebekah, and her loyalty lay primarily with Klaus. I was second choice, once again.

My emptied glass crashed into the wall, crystal pieces scattering across the wooden floors. I just watched the mess with a deep frown and an irately curled lip. I didn't move for hours, not until Rebekah came back from school, trading savage insults with Damon, then came up the stairs. All the while, she was holding a conversation with someone on the phone.

"This is a bad idea, but obviously you're missing the part of your brain that makes reasonable decisions – especially with Teagan," she snapped as she entered my room, throwing a bag down near the door. I watched with interest and a thick feeling in my throat as Rebekah first looked at the smashed glass then at me. "I don't think now is the best time," she told the person on the phone. I didn't know why I continued to deny who it was.

"_Put her on, Rebekah_," Klaus' voice ordered and my blonde sister grudgingly handed over the device. I stared at the state-of-the-art phone in my hand for several long seconds, looking at the name 'Nik' on the screen and remembering the last time I had called him that – both out loud and in my head.

"What could you possibly have to say to me?" I asked blandly, though I was genuinely curious. After everything, I knew he wouldn't say sorry. So, what else was there?

"How about: I'm glad you're alive?" he answered bitingly and I chewed my lip in irritation. "It would have been pleasant to know before now."

"Then you shouldn't have gotten rid of me," I responded easily, my normal sarcasm missing its mark due to the other emotions swirling inside my chest and the thoughts tumbling through my head. I could _feel_ Klaus rolling his eyes wherever he was.

"Why don't we put the past behind us, sweetheart? Everyone makes mistakes." Whilst that was the closest Klaus would _ever_ get to a genuine apology, I would not be accepting the request, no matter how much of an order it was. I scoffed to prove it.

"There are many issues in the present that would contest the stability of that suggestion. For example, where is Elijah? And what is happening to Stefan? Just why is Rebekah keeping me far away from your precious Elena, who was all too ready to _kill_ me?" I questioned, the arguments springing to mind with the accuracy of well-shot arrows. Even if I was to forget that he daggered Kol and Rebekah, then told me I was not his family and then abandoned me, he still had lots to answer for. A heavy sigh came from him.

"Teagan, I understand your anger over these things-." I snapped.

"No, you DON'T! Funnily enough, _Klaus_, despite your many problems with inner demons, the only ones suffering are those around you! These things do not happen to you, you make them happen to other people. You _disgust _me, you arrogant, selfish dick. Find me if you will, kill me if you wish – but I am leaving Mystic Falls because I do not want to see you ever again," I growled before hurtling the phone at the wall. Only Rebekah's quick reflexes stopped her expensive device smashing to little pieces.

"You can't leave, Teagan," she said in a pleading voice as I went about packing the small amount I'd decided to unpack. I ignored her desperation in favour of getting the hell out of dodge and avoiding Klaus for as long as possible. He did not favour those that disrespected him and I had done that and more with my miniature rant. I had no wish to see the outcome of such rash statements and, when I was fully packed, I turned to look at my sister.

"I love you, Bekah, I always will. You are my big sister, I promise, and I'll keep in touch – but I . . . I can't see him again." I didn't want to outwardly admit that Klaus had broken me but the truth was that he had. I didn't wear my rings anymore because they reminded me of the family I had once had and, by the looks of things, never would again. Rebekah seemed to understand immediately, no questions asked.

"Take care of yourself, Teagan. I'll miss you," she whispered into my ear as I was pulled into a tight hug. I grasped back tightly in an effort to take in as much affection as possible. I knew she was loyal to the point of no return when it came to Klaus and I would _not _be second choice, not again. Stefan had chosen. Rebekah had chosen. Klaus had chosen. None of those choices were me and, as I drove away from Mystic Falls with angry tears staining my cheeks and clouding my vision, I despaired silently.

XXX

The world was a lonely place. Everywhere I went, I always witnessed people that were alone. I wondered what their stories were, if they had family, if they were meeting someone or they just sat by themselves on that bench in that park as a routine. I wondered if they enjoyed the solitude or they wanted desperately to talk to someone, anyone. Large chunks of the previous ninety years had been spent being the former – but leaving Mystic Falls and Rebekah made me transform to the latter.

I texted her every day and answered her calls whenever she called me. For two weeks, I drove hundreds of miles over state lines and through multiple cities and towns. For the first time in a very long time, I felt the true misery of loneliness. I hated it.

I was in Milwaukee the day before the exact two week mark, seriously considering travelling to Chicago to revisit old spots and relive golden memories that should probably stay locked away, when I received another phone call. The caller ID told me it was Rebekah and, needing her to potentially talk me out of a disastrous situation, I answered it quickly.

"Chicago: good or bad idea?" I asked before chewing my lip and analysing the map I'd spread across the front of my car. I really needed to put fuel in the car otherwise I'd be walking wherever I planned on going and I was attempting to find the nearest station.

"I don't think it could go any worse than your visit to Mystic Falls." My haste to straighten up caused the map to slip off the car and my back twinge in what could be considered discomfort. That was not my sister's voice.

"Elijah?" I breathed in disbelief. Very pleased that there was no one around to see the loss of control, a blinding grin lit up my face when I received a noise of confirmation. "Is that really you?" I demanded warily, concerned over what tricks Klaus would be willing to pull in order to punish me for my insolence.

"Do you wish me to relay to you the events of summer 1912?" he checked and, laughing elatedly, I picked the map up and tossed it through the open side window of my car. "Rebekah has informed me – in gruelling detail – what occurred the last time she saw you," he told me and my lips twitched in annoyance. I knew Rebekah would tell him, it was the reliving of the memory that irked me.

"I suppose the almighty hybrid won't discuss it?" I questioned, already knowing the answer. Elijah's sigh gave it away anyway.

"Niklaus is very stiff on the subject, though I believe that is out of shame, rather than anger at you." I laughed mockingly, the very idea seeming ridiculous. "Teagan, you underestimate Klaus. He truly values his family."

"You sound like you are rehearsing a speech," I pointed out, twisting so that I was half seated on the hood of the car. I watched the sun hang overhead and wondered vaguely if my sunglasses were near the top of one of my bags.

"I have concocted a plan with Damon and Stefan to un-dagger the rest of our family," he informed me and my head tilted to the side, eyes narrowing in sudden suspicion.

"What happened to Rebekah?" I asked, dread filling my very core. Elijah's silence was very revealing and I closed my eyes in painful denial.

"Elena daggered her on the night of the Homecoming dance. Niklaus has seen to it that she remains in that state and I found the details of your experiences in her phone, ready for someone to find." I had to grin at Rebekah's devious behaviour. Then my anger kicked me in the gut.

"That doppelganger _bitch_ killed Rebekah!? Does she have it in for us or something?" I demanded loudly, thankful there was no one around to hear my conversation. Elijah sighed once more and I pictured him pinching the bridge of his nose.

"The Salvatore brothers and I will bring her back, make no mistake. Then we will leave Niklaus to the loneliness he so deserves. I called to inform you of such a plan, and to ask you to join us." I smiled weakly, crossing my ankles.

"You want me to return to Mystic Falls?" I asked hesitantly, not particularly wanting to go back to the place that had destroyed so much in so little time. And the involvement of Stefan was yet another complication, given I could not forget the dead stare he had given me. I did not know why he saved me only to reject me so coldly, but I had no care to find out. The Stefan I knew was gone.

"Only temporarily, to ease the transition. Finn will want to meet you," Elijah responded and it was my turn to sigh deeply as I ran my free hand down the left side of my face. My lip felt abused as I consistently bit it in thought, frantically flicking through the pros and cons of the situation. Of course, I knew from the second Elijah asked what my response would be. I just had to check some things.

"This isn't some sort of cruel trick, is it? Klaus isn't luring me back to Mystic Falls?" I asked suspiciously, as was my nature. Elijah, who knew full well what my feelings were on being second choice and being abandoned, immediately soothed my concerns.

"He has done far too much damage to be forgiven, Teagan. I assure you that I am being entirely sincere, and the others will not be very forgiving either," he argued softly and I felt eased. Rebekah would be screaming with rage – both at Elena and at Klaus – Finn would be truly irate, especially having missed so much, and Kol would be positively murderous.

"I cannot be back in Mystic Falls until tomorrow," I said, glowering at my fuel-lacking vehicle and considering whether it would make it as far as a service station.

"That will do nicely. The plan will take place tonight – I will make sure we are ready for your arrival. I assure you that you cannot miss the house that Niklaus has constructed." I gave a derisive snort at the thought of Klaus is his large, fancy mansion under the delusion he was safe and secure.

"Then I will see you soon," I responded before hanging up and quickly getting into the car. The engine revved reassuringly and I sped towards the spot the map had informed me was the nearest station. Kol was finally going to be awake! The euphoria from that thought was uncontainable and I let out a small trill of excitement at finally seeing my brother once more.

It had been so long since I had seen him, even his coffin, and I could not wait to be just encased in his arms once more. We could finally get up to our old tricks again, Elijah would get mad at all the havoc we caused, and Kol would tell me that I would find someone better than Stefan to occupy my affections. Then he would let me choose some victims.

True to my word, I didn't make it back to Mystic Falls until the next day due to several complications. What awaited me there was not what I had been led to believe would be waiting.

Definitely not what I expected.

**So, I'm thinking of writing a few AU one shots that have both Teagan and Lissa in them (my OC from **_**I'm Gonna Be Strong – **_**which I hope to update soon). What do you think? Teagan and Lissa in a different, AU universe? Let me know and I'll see you all in a week! PS – Kol and Teagan reunite in the next chapter :D Love, Bianca :) x**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**Hello! Thank you for the reviews, favourites and alerts, as always. Here we have the big reunion we've been waiting for :D PS – I know Elijah had the shoe in the scene, but I changed it 'cause I could.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the Vampire Diaries but I do own Teagan.**

The house was magnificent – all white, with large windows and sharp points. Areas of greenery rested around the edges of the driveway and in the centre, thick trees reaching for the Heavens. I casually walked through the tall, double doors as I didn't see the need for knocking – everyone knew I was coming.

I stepped straight into a majestic foyer, with a double staircase surrounded by wrought iron rails. A medium sized, marble topped table sat between the sets of stairs, holding a luscious bouquet of flowers that oozed exquisite taste. A chandelier that reminded me of days back in the fourteen hundreds hung from the carved ceiling. Klaus certainly wasn't subtle, I noted as I followed the sound of music and talking.

Taking the corridor to the left, I got closer and closer to the noises, smiling at the familiar voices of my family mingling together. Eventually, I ended up close to the doorway through which I would find them, just as my favourite brother started speaking loudly.

"Rebekah, tell me how handsome I am," he ordered and I could just picture the superior arrogance on his face. Grinning, I slipped around the corner and leant against the doorframe, watching the antics.

"Oh Kol, you know I can't be compelled," Rebekah retorted, analysing her freshly painted fingernails. Kol was dressed suavely in a tuxedo that looked like it had been fitted just for him, whilst someone I assumed was Finn analysed a shoe in his hand with interest. Elijah was just observing with obvious affection.

"You never could drag your head out of your ass," I remarked casually, raising a challenging eyebrow as Kol spun around with an expectant look. It quickly dissolved into a gleeful smile and I was whisked into a spinning hug.

"If it isn't my favourite partner. It's about time you showed up, darling, I was beginning to think you weren't coming," he joked, letting me go. I swatted him playfully before grinning at Elijah cheekily. He looked suspiciously calm and I was beginning to think that something was off.

"What are you all dressed up for and why wasn't I invited?" I asked cheerily, plopping down on the sofa next to Rebekah as her manicurist departed the room. Kol gave a low whistle and started admiring his reflection once again, whilst Rebekah stared a little too hard at her nails. Elijah was the one to answer, seemingly deciding it was best not to hide it.

"Things have taken an unexpected turn," he began just as Klaus burst into the room looking furious. His eyes narrowed immediately at Rebekah, who had a Kol-like smirk on her face.

"You tried to kill Elena?" he demanded and I couldn't help the snort that escaped my mouth. Unfortunately, that caused Klaus' eyes to swivel to me and I swallowed thickly. It was the first time I was seeing him since he'd kicked me out of the car in 1922 and he had hardly changed. His blonde hair was no longer slicked back, but the blue eyes were still there, along with the cheekbones. Like Kol resembled Elijah, Rebekah resembled Klaus.

"In case you haven't figured it out, we're no longer leaving," Kol commented briskly and my face slackened slightly as the words registered. I had returned to Mystic Falls, only to find out that I was not getting to leave with the people that thankfully still considered me family. Klaus glowered at me.

"You returned only so you could leave with them?" he questioned sharply and I stood up strongly, staring at him. I would not show the fear he desired from me as I took a probably stupid step forward.

"What did you expect? Unlike you, they still think I am family," I bit out slowly, gritting my teeth to stop myself from admitting the hurt that still surged through me from ninety years ago. Klaus' expression twitched and I decided the flicker of pain I saw there was a figment of my imagination.

"Teagan," Elijah warned softly. It was not his usual reprimand, but rather an urge to get away from Klaus. We both knew how temperamental he could get and I had not encountered him since his becoming a hybrid – I had no idea just how strong he really was.

"No, let her tell him. After all, we know he would _never_ hurt her," Kol goaded bitterly and Klaus spun to stare at his younger brother. I could see that Kol was purposefully irritating Klaus in the hopes he'd get a reaction. After all, there was a lot of anger in my brother after what Klaus had done to him.

"This doesn't concern you. Go back to staring at yourself," Klaus ordered and I restrained myself from commenting as I saw anger start making its way onto Kol's face. Usually, he concealed his true emotions with dark humour or cheekiness, but Klaus was clearly pushing his buttons.

"Enough," someone new said as they appeared in another doorway. Turning, I stared openly at the beautiful woman. She had dark blonde hair that fell to her shoulders in soft tendrils, and a cream dress that revealed her higher class. Although I had never met her, like Finn, I knew very well who she was. "You must be Teagan. I am Esther," she greeted, holding out her hand. In a daze, I stepped forward and shook it.

"It's lovely to meet you, ma'am. But I really must dash, I have other engagements in Chicago," I replied, the ease of lying all too familiar. She smiled at me and I stepped away before turning on my heel and making for the door. Kol's arm shot out and caught me before I could make it another step.

"Oh no, you expect me to be fooled with techniques I taught you? Dear Teagan, you are not that good," he scolded, twisting me back so I faced him. His brown eyes looked at me with a mixture of excitement and a nervousness that I rarely witnessed in him. "Mother, please tell Teagan that your presence does not change anything. She is still a member of this family."

My curious expression fell away to accommodate an enraged one as Kol broadcasted the problem I was experiencing to his entire family. Previously, I had been all too willing to fall into the baby sister role of the family, but Esther's presence reminded me that I really wasn't a member of their family. Naturally Kol knew what was bothering me and why I wanted to flee.

"Of course, she is very welcome in this family. My sons and daughter see you as their sibling and I would not have it any other way. Kol, see to it that she is fully informed on tonight's events? Niklaus, come," she ordered before leaving with the grace of a Queen. Klaus grudgingly walked away from us all, leaving the rest to stare at me. I rolled my eyes as Elijah opened his mouth.

"Alright, I'm very stupid. I am also Teagan, you must be Finn," I said with a gentle smile, sticking my hand out to Finn. The oldest Original took it firmly before going back to admiring his shoe. I turned my attention to Elijah, smirking at his haircut in appreciation. The shorter locks were much better suited to him than the floppy style I had seen on him before.

"Kol, I believe mother asked you to do something," Elijah prompted as I playfully ruffled Kol's hair and he lunged at me. I squealed and tried to wriggle free but he would not let me go and did so without even exerting himself or ruining the tuxedo. "Kol," Elijah repeated and, laughing, we both collapsed next to Rebekah, who simply rolled her eyes.

"Mother is hosting a ball for the entire town tonight in order to celebrate our reunion as a family," Kol informed me in a bored voice. I raised an eyebrow and he nodded. "Yes, I know. But such frivolous events do have good opportunities. For example, I can investigate this Stefan Rebekah has been telling me about thoroughly." I whipped my head to the right to glare at Rebekah.

"I did nothing wrong, he would have discovered the truth eventually," she responded easily, blowing on her nails idly. Sighing, I turned back to Kol, who looked too excited for his own health.

"Come now, Teagan, it has been a long time since a man has caught your fancy and you are in _love _with this one," he began, looking like he genuinely cared before a mischievous grin lit up his face. "Maybe I can persuade him to turn his humanity back on," he finished and I gave up, letting my head thud against his shoulder. I could feel the surprised tense in them and I groaned.

"Kol, you don't understand. He's been _compelled _to turn it off and no one is going to make him feel if he doesn't want to," I complained, voice muffled by the material of his jacket. He snorted and used his index finger to ease my head up once again, looking at me with chocolate eyes.

"He is a fool if he does not want you, Teagan. And, from what I hear, he loved you dearly once. He can again." I wanted to curse loudly at the hope that arose in me, especially as Kol knew exactly what would happen with those words. But, for once in his life, Kol seemed utterly serious and supportive. I smiled weakly.

"I mock others for being so hopelessly in love with someone they cannot have, yet I am one of them. I never believed I would be so pathetic," I moaned, wanting to put my head back on my brother's shoulder but unable to, because his hand still held me firmly in place.

"I always knew," he joked and I grinned properly before smacking the back of his head. Finally, he let my chin go and pulled me into a warm hug, the same kind of hug that I had missed dearly for ninety years. "And I saw to it that you had a dress," he added after a minute, pulling me to my feet. Although it was unusual behaviour, I could not wipe the smile from my face because I was just so elated. My family was back together.

"So, you tried to kill Elena?" I asked Rebekah as Kol disappeared behind the mirror he had been looking in for a moment. My blonde sister smiled darkly.

"Yes, but Elijah stopped me," she answered and we both rolled our eyes towards Elijah, who ignored our prodding. Kol coughed conspicuously as he came back around the mirror, holding a garment bag.

"Enough on that, I'm bored," he said, dismissing it with a wave of his free hand. He handed the bag over to me and I stared at it for a few prolonged moments, wondering at the contents. "Don't worry, precious, Rebekah saw to it that the design was to your tastes," he assured me and I grinned.

"Teagan, I must ask you to behave yourself tonight. Leave Elena be," Elijah put in, shooting me the usual warning glance. We shared a long stare and I eventually conceded to the authority he was exuding with a firm nod. As he re-entered the room, Klaus' face was thunderous as he looked directly at me. I took an instinctive step backwards as Kol crossed his arms threateningly. Silence reigned as he jerked his head in the direction of the door. I breathed a sarcastic laugh, believing he was kidding.

"Five minutes," he suggested.

"Three," I negotiated and took his departure as agreement. I spared a look for Kol, who looked very grumpy, before I left too, following the sound of Klaus' footsteps down the hallway. We ended up in an art room. Paintings covered the wall, historical pieces that he had stolen no doubt, and then his own work littered several tables. Pens, pencils, paintbrushes and palettes were scattered everywhere and the room had a very creative atmosphere. Leaning against a nearby worktop with a tall easel next to me, I waited whatever he had in store for me.

"Kol does not trust us alone with one another," he finally told me and I just looked at him like he was joking. "Kol does not trust _me_."

"Can you blame him?" I asked immediately, as though it should have been very obvious. He sighed and I simply waited for the explosion that was likely to occur. Instead, all I received was silence as he breezed over to a pile of papers, all with pencil drawings on them.

"I am very used to you simply forgiving me for my actions," he noted but I didn't say a word. He knew what my silence meant. "I see that won't happen this time. What I did was insensitive." I scoffed rather loudly, refraining from rolling my eyes as Klaus stared resolutely at his work. "I lied, Teagan." I was so stunned that he had admitted it that I could not control the short gasp of air that escaped me.

"What?" I asked ridiculously, as though I had not just heard him utter the words. I couldn't wrap my head around it, though, it seemed bizarre. Klaus was admitting he had lied, that what he had done was _wrong_, and that was something I had hardly seen in my existence.

"I lied to you ninety years ago. I should not have said you weren't my family, no matter how ambiguous the statement was. You of all people should understand what happens when tempers get out of hand." I laughed hysterically as he tried to turn it around on me.

"Don't flip the situation, Klaus. You were wrong and you've admitted it. And you're right; I'm not going to just forgive you with no apology and no act of contrition to prove you are anything but a disgusting pain in my ass," I informed him, hoping Kol or Rebekah or Elijah were fast enough to intervene if things got out of control. After all, Damon was right. I wasn't an Original. There was a long silence and the three minutes quickly disappeared, yet I did not move.

"I apologise, Teagan. My family are finally coming back together – will you be a part of it?" he asked, unable to keep the hint of sarcasm from his voice. I quickly dismissed the tone because I was attempting to process his very real apology. I wondered if it was a dream.

"You're still a dick," I responded, moving to the archway that linked the room and the hall together. Pausing before I rounded the corner, I moved my head slightly, just enough that I was looking at the room again but not enough to see Klaus. "But I can see you being my big brother again." And I left the room.

XXX

The house that had once been magnificent had been transformed to spectacular. Lights wound elegantly around the iron railings, champagne was carried around by waiters and served at a bar constructed specifically for the event, whilst people were bustling around. Still upstairs and staring critically at my reflection, I was not surprised when Kol ambled in with a pout on his face.

"How is it a party if I cannot eat anyone?" he asked as he flopped on my bed. Apparently Klaus had made a room especially for me – and it was eerily accurate to my tastes. The bed was king sized, with princess hangings in dark red. The carpet was a rich cream and a walk in wardrobe was to the left of the door. I was staring in the full-length mirror attached to the inside of the wardrobe as Kol huffed.

"I plan on drinking – lots," I answered with my own solution, glancing at him through the mirror. He raised an eyebrow before looking extremely appreciative.

"That sounds like a marvellous suggestion. Now, why are you still hanging around the mirror? You look beautiful and you know it." He stood up behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders, eyebrows both raised.

"I don't . . . Stefan will be there," I complained and was not surprised at the snort that Kol emitted. "Do not mock me, Kol," I snapped but he did not wipe the smirk from his face.

"Teagan, we've discussed this. If Stefan does not want to recall the love he has for you, then he is a fool. We will not pay attention to the Salvatore vampires, rather enjoy ourselves and maybe . . . play some games?" he asked, whispering the last part teasingly. I immediately perked up and a wide smile spread across my lips.

"It has been a long time since I properly played," I said slowly, licking my lips in excitement. Obviously pleased with himself, Kol smirked darkly.

"I too find myself in need of some good, old fashioned fun. Come, darling, let's join the party," he suggested, holding out his arm. I took a final glance at my reflection before allowing my brother to escort me from the bedroom and to the top of the double staircase. Down below, I saw Stefan standing alone and he looked up as I eyed his elegant form, eyes connecting with mine.

We stared for an immeasurable amount of time before Kol tugged on my arm and led me down the stairs. I dragged my eyes from Stefan and promised myself I would focus on Kol's plan for the evening – many games awaited.

**And three you have it – Kol and Teagan are back to their old tricks and Stefan will definitely be back properly in the next chapter. Oh, and I'm working on a sequel for this story and, considering this is AU from the end of season 3, it's set in New Orleans but not following the events of The Originals. It'll be Kol/OC, though everyone will still be in it. Does this sound like a plan? Let me know. Love, Bianca :) x**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Here it is – the reunion between Stefan and Teagan. Here's a little challenge for you all: let me know your favourite ship name for these two :) Read the author's note at the end, please.**

**Disclaimer – I don't own the Vampire Diaries but I do own Teagan.**

Hazel. Those were the eyes, the exact eyes in the exact shade that he had been constantly thinking about for years. He remembered her, of course, thanks to Klaus lifting the compulsion, but he finally got to see her when she wasn't a charred mess. And what a sight she was.

Her medium length locks in such fiery orange were pulled loosely away from her face, with only her fringe falling to the left of her face in a soft wave. Her eyes were outlined in black and she was gripping Kol's arm tightly. The dress she wore was square-necked, with cap sleeves and clung to most of her body, fanning out in a small train at the back. It was bright, emerald green with black lace on the sleeves and down either side of the dress.

They stared at each other for a while before she turned away and Stefan watched her descend the stairs, unable to ignore the fact that she only had three rings on her fingers. He would always remember that she had nine – where were the others?

"It's like 1922 all over again," Klaus remarked as he came up beside Stefan. The younger vampire turned to look at the hybrid with a dark glare. Klaus ignored it. "I think you should inform her that your emotions have returned."

"Only because you allowed them to," Stefan retaliated bitterly. Klaus sighed and took a long sip of champagne before looking Stefan directly in the eyes.

"You are still in love with Teagan," he stated and Stefan rolled his own green orbs out of irritation. He was well aware of the feelings he had for Teagan, ones that he had failed to replicate with Elena even when he didn't know what he was replicating. It had been Teagan that Lexi had used as an example in her temporary hiatus from the Other Side, Teagan that Lexi reminded him of – but had failed. Only Klaus could undo the compulsion, which he had done less than twenty four hours previously.

"And you're in love with Caroline. Neither of those facts means the other loves us in return," Stefan retorted before he disappeared into the crowd. He really needed a drink.

Teagan

"Elijah has a very long stick up his arse," Kol whined as he leant against the bar next to me. We had been downstairs only five minutes and already Elijah had stopped Kol from messing things up three times – only two of which I had been involved with.

"We've been aware of that for centuries," I said, handing him a glass of champagne and taking a large gulp of my own. Kol let out a derisive noise before his eyes narrowed at something. Following his gaze, I found Klaus talking to a beautiful blonde girl dressed in a remarkable blue dress that glittered and fell around her gracefully. Her hair was piled in a curly mass on top of her head and she wore jewellery I was certain I recognised.

"Who is that, I wonder?" Kol asked rhetorically as a mischievous smirk lightened his face. Realising his train of thought, I placed my glass down and we shared a teasing glance. "I believe we should find out." He needed no confirmation from me and I led the way, he waiting for his cue. It was only as I reached them that I recognised her face.

"I know you," I stated bluntly as I popped up on Klaus' left. The blonde frowned at me in confusion. "You're the girl that Klaus has loads of drawings of," I elaborated and saw Klaus glower at me from the corner of my eye. "I'm Teagan," I added, placing my hand out. She shook it.

"Caroline," she responded and I smiled as warmly as I was capable.

"Well, it's lovely to finally meet you, Caroline. I hope you enjoy tonight," I said kindly, a sickly smile on my face as I looked at Klaus. "I assure you, there are better vampires here for you."

"Like me," Kol said as he appeared on my left. "Kol Mikaelson. Might I just point out that you are a most beauteous creature?" he asked rhetorically, kissing her hand with his usual charm. Caroline looked stunned before a sarcastic smile took over her face.

"Sorry, I'm not a victim to charm these days. Nice try though." Then she walked away from us and I stared after her in appreciative shock.

"I like her," I declared as Kol pushed his way in between Klaus and I. "She's got fire."

"I don't know, she hurt my feelings." Rolling my eyes, I gave Kol a sideways glance but he was too busy looking at Klaus. The older Original was staring at us both reproachfully. "Don't worry, she's proved herself. We'll move on to whoever happens to catch Elijah's fancy," Kol assured his big brother and I grinned.

"This I have to see," I agreed and we took off into the throngs of people, leaving Klaus shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. "That was fabulous amounts of fun, though I doubt anyone has caught Elijah's attention. Oh, Rebekah has a date though," I pointed out, eyeing the blonde male next to my sister. He was muscular with pretty blue eyes and deep voice that I could hear distinctly. He looked marvellous in a tuxedo.

"Excellent," Kol agreed with a cheeky laugh. My eyes fell on Rebekah, who wore a green dress too. Hers was very different to mine, made from heavy satin and with only one, off-shoulder sleeve. The bodice clung in fashionably rumpled satin and fanned out in a mermaid skirt. Her hair was scraped back from her face and straightened down past her shoulders. Diamond jewellery set the rather simple look off nicely.

"I do hope you are both behaving." Kol and I let out simultaneous groans and drew our gazes away from Rebekah, who was laughing with her date.

"Can't you just have some fun, Elijah? Perhaps there is a young woman here to occupy your time?" I suggested, instantly looking around for someone that looked appropriate for Elijah. He was very fussy when it came to the other sex and she had to be good enough to keep him away from us for at least ten minutes – a difficult task.

"Stop acting like children, both of you. And on the subject of occupying time, where is Stefan tonight?" he asked and Kol placed a restraining hand on my shoulder as I went to hit Elijah. Realising the minefield he had stepped into, Elijah explained himself. "I only ask as I believe he has something to tell you."

"Enough with your riddles, Elijah. Simply tell me or go away," I ordered briskly, in no mood for games that were not of my own creation. Not believing he would tell me, I began searching for Rebekah and her date, as they had relocated.

"It would appear that Niklaus has restored the boy's humanity." I didn't even have time to twist my head before Elijah vanished into the crowd. Gobsmacked, I looked at Kol, who had his eyebrow raised and his lips pursed.

"Fancy that," he remarked, as stunned as I was. What was I supposed to do with that information? Stefan had his humanity returned and I knew he had his memories returned – but I had heard nothing. Did that mean he did not want me around and he preferred that pathetic little Elena's company? He would be hard pressed to get her attention when she was clearly devoted to Damon.

"The toast is starting," I pointed out as a distraction, noticing our family gathering on the stairs. Kol sighed forlornly and led the way through the crowd. We gathered on the stairs, Kol across from me and me positioned on the step under Rebekah. It was Elijah that spoke and I accidently made brief eye contact with Stefan.

He stared at me with the same expression he had when I had arrived on top of the staircase and I couldn't or wouldn't put my finger on what emotion it was in his green eyes. I began frantically contemplating what would happen next. Hopefully, I would be able to make Kol dance with me before he snatched up the brunette he was eyeing across the room. As a member of the Mikealson family, I had to participate in the first dance of the evening. Maybe Elijah would accompany me? My thought time was cut off completely as my family dispersed and I slowly descended the stairs. Elijah and Kol had found guests to dance with, Klaus had practically pounced on Caroline and Rebekah was off with whoever her date was.

"Stefan," I exclaimed softly, reaching the foot of the stairs to find Stefan looking at me with a strange version of my favourite smile. He held out his hand and I stared at it wordlessly.

"Do you need a dance partner?" he asked and I restrained myself from gaping, instead smirking darkly.

"Here I was thinking I had to be in a burning vehicle to get your attention," I sniped distastefully. Stefan raised his eyebrow but did not drop his hand.

"You burn fairly brightly all by yourself, Teagan," he responded smoothly and I couldn't help but lighten my smirk. It was quite poetic and he had such a smooth voice. Instead of saying something, I slid my hand into his and sauntered into the ballroom. Kol gave me a very conspicuous wink as we passed him and I grinned in response, taking up the dance position.

"So, tell me about Elena. She seems like a lovely girl," I said sarcastically, half trying to annoy a reaction from him and half wondering what the girl's problem was.

"She's better than Katherine," Stefan answered calmly, spinning me around and leading the dance with effortlessness she had missed. "And she's madly in love with Damon," he added as though that was supposed to matter to me. I laughed a tad mockingly.

"Please – you forget my experience with doppelgangers. They play two people like harp strings and they enjoy it," I scoffed as we continued revolving with the same ease we had in the twenties – _exactly _like we did. My face twitched as Stefan pressed our hips tightly together and I couldn't stop the involuntary gasp of air that escaped.

"Then she's going to have to find someone else. I only play games with one special girl," he argued softly, whispering the words seductively in my ear. I barely had time to grin before the partners switched and I was looking at Klaus.

"I see you're enjoying yourself," he noted and I smiled a genuine smile.

"I truly am, though things are certainly different. I-." My voice cut off as I saw Stefan dancing with Elena, the latter leaning far too close to the former for my liking. My eyes flashed.

"I need to talk to you," the naive girl was saying to Stefan as she darted glances to her precious boyfriend, who was dancing with my sister.

"Go ahead," Stefan urged, sounding utterly bored. Elena kept glancing back at Damon and, underneath my raging jealousy, I was suspicious.

"Not here," Elea said in an abysmal attempt at whispering. Stefan raised his eyebrows but nonetheless followed her out of the ballroom. I couldn't believe the situation I had just spoken about was playing out in front of me!

"Oh no, that is not a good idea," Klaus said, forcibly keeping me in hold as I made to launch myself after the pair. "Don't let your jealousy overcome you."

"Says the man that abandoned me for hinting he shouldn't have daggered his sister," I grumbled, still attempting to wriggle free from his grasp. "Come _on_, Nik, I-." I stopped short and did not blink as both of us realised what I had called him.

"Does that mean you're a step closer to forgiving me?" he asked with his usual amount of snide tone. I looked up at those blue eyes of his and sighed in resignation.

"You gave Stefan his emotions back and I'm thankful," I said vaguely as the song came to an end. I curtsied to Klaus, winked at Kol, and skulked after Stefan and Elena like the jealous ex I was. It didn't take long and I found him in one of the studies, standing over Damon's limp body.

"You always were jealous," he noted, back to me as I leant against the doorframe, sultry smile on my lips.

"And you always were a little twisted," I countered, yet neither of us moved. Silence reigned and I stared at his back, raking my eyes over his lean figure. Rumour had it through Mystic Falls that Damon was the bad brother – but I had seen Stefan in his prime. They didn't come much worse than he did. "It's an improvement though I cannot fathom why Elena would want to break her boyfriend's neck . . ." I trailed off whimsically, eyes planted on his rear unashamedly.

"She wants to talk to Esther, and he'll get in the way," he eventually answered, finally turning to face me. My smile enhanced.

"What if I get in the way? Will you break my neck?" I asked purposefully, licking the corner of my mouth teasingly. I was baiting him, playing my game and we both knew it. I was surprised, however, when he blurred us into the wall and pressed up against me.

"I'd have to find some way to distract you," he growled softly and I smirked, staring into his beautiful green eyes.

"Then I'm going to find Elena. Lord knows I'd love to keep her from doing what she wants." I slipped out of his grasp, heading for the door, and I was not disappointed when Stefan sped over and pushed me up against a different wall. "Don't you remember, Stefan?" I asked rhetorically before flipping us around and clasping our hands. "I'm stronger than you."

"You're right," he agreed before licking my jaw line and biting my earlobe, causing a moan to grind out of my throat. "But I know all your weak spots." I laughed before pulling him from the room and into my bedroom. Both of us forgot about Damon and the party, too busy refreshing stale memories of times long since past.

**There it is! Please let me know your thoughts on the Kol/OC sequel set in an AU New Orleans. AND: any Captain America/Avengers fans out there? Has anyone seen the competition Mark Ruffalo is running - I'm excited to see the outcome of that. Anyway, I have a couple of fics related to the Avengers in the works - one is a Steve/OC with side Clintasha and is nearly finished and one is a Bucky/OC that is definitely nowhere near finished. Anyone interested in reading those? I also have an X-Men fic going (Charles/OC) which I will probably finish off soon. Let me know! Love, Bianca :) x**


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